China Herald: 07/06/2008

Olympic Information Center: links on 11 July

Beijing CBD (Commercial Business District) are...

All Olympic conversation, apart from the sport
(I will be traveling until Thursday and the Olympic information center might take a break till then.)

- We are ready #4A! Special bonus post: why travel to China is down (James Fallows)

- Olympic travails (Financial Times)

- Quicker filming permit application process (Playing the game...)

- posted one message

“Following the South China Morning Post coverage in its Olympic section, but it seems always too little, too late, compared to other sources”

- Bring it On, Beijing Style (WSJ-blog)

- Blogging from Beijing: Ithacan getting the Olympic experience (The Ithaca Journal)

Unfortunately, no rss-feed - You

- Olympic Sponsors to Benefit Under a Tougher Stance in China (NY Times)

- Olympic gold, global power (LA Times)

- After the Olympcs, what? (China Beat)

- Beijing Olympic Anti-Terrorism Exercises (Beijing Olympics Blog)

- No Salad (Cup of Cha)

- Olympic broadcasters appear to get their way (Shanghaiist)

- China Disputes Criticism Of Its Air-Pollution Data (WSJ)

- Sarkozy defends decision to attend Olympic opening (IHT)

- Beijing offers hefty rewards for security threat information during Olympics (Xinhua)

- China seeks to reassure on Olympic media freedom (Reuters)

- Who says the Chinese are smelly socks? (Telegraph blog)

- Medals And Rights (The New Republic)

- Why we're staying in China (Xinhua)

The official spindoctors in action! - You

- Xinhua has ground breaking news (China Visa Blog)

- BIMC opens for unaccredited reporters (Play the game...)

Olympic Information Center: links on 10 July (China Herald)

Labels: Olympic information center

A party secretary goes online

Yang Ping

Party-secretary Yang Ping of Zhuzhou (47) had an idea earlier this year: he wanted to go online to get in touch with his online constituency and listen to their complaints about his government. The China Youth Daily - here translated by the Fool's Mountain - tells his story. First he was kicked out by the hosting service, who thought he was a netizens trying to impersonate the party-secretary:

In the Zhuzhou discussion board on Hunan’s Rednet (红网连接), the first post written by “Yang Ping” appeared (posted on May 14th). It was titled: “Eight major problems with Zhuzhou city leadership’s work style” (原文连接). Unexpectedly, the post was quickly deleted. The administrator said: “You’re impersonating secretary Yang Ping!” It was reposted again, and the administrator yelled out: “Oh how dare you! Trying to impersonate and defraud.”
The secretary had no choice but to search out the Zhuzhou board’s administrator, and he was shocked: you really are Yang Ping. They immediately opened up a “back door”, and gave the newbie the rights to post pictures. Quickly, a work picture of Yang Ping wearing a tie was uploaded.

Yang Ping first faced a lot of angry citizens, but was able to have a decent conversation in the long run, being online most of the days around midnight.

Ever since he’s started going online with his real identify, he feels like he’s been pulling out his internal organs and showing them to the world. Online, he can’t have a bad temper, he can’t curse. He has to be the perfect gentleman.

Classmate Yang, he is called by his netizens and apart from the serious side of government, like fighting corruption, Ying Ping has discovered the fun-side too:

He has an online pet, a QQ baby. “So far, my baby has been growing for 789 hours, and started university. She’s started to express interest in dating. She likes sweet dumplings (tangyuan), and uses Chashuang toothpaste. Once she’s full, she likes to sit on the swing.” While saying this, he feeds her another “dumpling”.

More at the Fool's Mountain.

Olympic Information Center: links on 10 July

BEIJING - MARCH 31: Hein Verbruggen, chairman...

Getty Images via Daylife

All Olympic conversation, apart from the sport

- An Essential Guide to the Chinese Olympics Available Now (Market Watch)

- Beijing Olympics: China's green critics should get a grip (The Telegraph)

- Taiwan nixes China move to change Olympic name (AP)

- Beijing prepares for the no-fun Olympics (New Statesman)

- Olympic Games: China curbs Tiananmen Square live broadcasts (Times Online)

- China to expand foreign newspaper sales for games (AP)

- China detains 82 suspected terrorists targeting Olympics (AFP)

- mInfo Named Official Mobile Search Provider for Beijing Games (Digital Watch)

- China's Olympic super cop (Shanghaiist)

- Dog meat ban for Olympics (Danwei)

- Quoted: The sign of the times is no signs (Silicon Hutong)

- Making a Kevin Costner drama out of China crises (The Guardian)

- China achieves Olympian pollution levels (National Post)

- Foreign TV crews cleared to broadcast live news from Beijing (Silicon Hutong)

- Whole country rushes for the Olympic bank note (Danwei)

- Beijing Loosens Olympics Reporting Rules (WSJ)

- Beijing to expand public transport routes for Olympics (People's Daily)

- China's Silencing Season (Washington Post)

- Pre-Olympics security sweep nets foreigners, Chinese alike (Kansas City)

- Staying With Friends In China: You Have 24 Hours Or You Are On The Lam (China Law Blog)

- China's pollution Olympics (Asia Times)

- GroundReport Launches Beijing Olympics Video Contest

- We are ready #3! A short anecdote and a long email (James Fallows)

This story is very much worth your attention - You (edit | delete)

Olympic Information Center: links on 9 July (China Herald)

Labels: Olympic information center

Shanghainese unhappy about income

Image via WikipediaShanghainese are unhappy about the development of their income and a substantial part is delaying big ticket purchases, reports the official news agency Xinhua, based on a survey of the Shanghai University for Finance and Economics.

Among the 1,000 surveyed, 13.3 percent said their income shrank over the past year, 4.4 percent higher that that of the first quarter. People's employment expectation index dropped by 23.5 to stand at 84.7 points, and 35.9 percent of the surveyed were pessimistic about job opportunities in the second half of the year.

In addition, 62.6 percent Shanghai citizens thought it was not a good time to buy houses right now, and 55.7 percent would not consider buying one this year.
The survey also shows that about half of the surveyed were negative about buying cars either now or in the second half of the year.

Both inflation and the falling Shanghai stock market might have caused this sentiment, the professor in charge says. Disposable income for Shanghainese has gone up says other research.

Yingbei village head applies for dismissal

China Digital Times points at this video, made last month in Shandong province:

The clip shows the village head together with a group of thugs beating up villagers who refuse to leave their homes which will be demolished for a construction project. In one post, the caption reads: In Yingbei Village 樱北村， Kuiwen District 奎文区, Weifang City of Shandong Province, the village head Gao Zhigang led thugs to beat up villagers. Where are the higher-ups stopping such violent evictions? Can’t we small people have a place to live?

It is yet another illustration where local internet users appeal to the - trusted - higher authorities to help them out. Internet communication with very Chinese characteristics.

Olympic Information Center: links on 9 July

via Wikipedia

All Olympic conversation, apart from the sport

lonnie b hodge posted a message on Twitter

“Speaking to doctoral student at SYSU from Africa. He's talking of 200 Africans in prison here for visa overstay http://snipurl.com/2vhne”
“@CatChen 200 Nigerians in prison. Most are being held as they cannot pay the overstay fines. Catch 22”

Countdown to the Olympics (BBC)

Chinese homes open their doors to Olympic tourists (Reuters)

China's pollution claims disputed ahead of Games (The Independent)

Banned by Beijing University: Campus Tourists (WSJ-blog)

Fake Olympic torch cam (Flickr)

Protecting the nest (Shanghaiist)

Two Concerns for Olympics: Air and Access (New York Times)

RFID enabled tickets for Olympic opening and closing (Danwei)

One World, One Dream (WSJ-blog)

Sarkozy decides to go to Olympics (BBC)

Beijing: this rubbish revolution won't be permanent (Times online)

China Changes Chief Representative Visa Policy (China Briefing)

Olympic Information Center: links on 8 July (2) (China Herald)

Labels: Olympic information center

Olympic Information Center: links on 8 July (2)

BEIJING, CHINA - AUGUST 8: A femal inmate hol...

Getty Images via Daylife

All Olympic conversation, apart from the sport

- One month before the Olympics, the dirtiest air in China is in Beijing (CNet)

- China clearing the air for Olympics (Marketplace)

- With a month to go until Olympics, China grows anxious (McClatchy)

- Obama would skip Olympics (AP)

- Crackdown on 'illegal' online Olympic content (Danwei)

- Wall Street Journal gets it wrong on Weng’an (Fool's Mountain)

- The one-month countdown begins (Reuters)

- With one month to go, IOC says it's time for Beijing to deliver on pollution, free press (CNN)

The IOC is or giving off different signals or media are making up different stories. Rather confusing. - You

- Beijing confident of clean air for Games (AFP)

- IOC hails Beijing "gold standard," China slams critics (Reuters)

- China tightens pre-Olympic airport security in Xinjiang, Tibet (DPA)

- CCTV to broadcast Olympic events live without delay (Xinhua)

Olympic Information Center: links on 8 July (1) (China Herald)

Labels: Olympic information center

Another Shanghai tycoon into trouble

SHANGHAI, CHINA - APRIL 18: (CHINA OUT) (FILE ...

Chen Liangyu
by Getty Images via DaylifeAnother Shanghai tycoon, Liu Genshan, is under investigation for fraud, writes the Shanghai Daily, quoting the Oriental Morning Post. Liu was also called the "Highway King" and is suspected from embezzling 4,3 b illion Renminbi (430 million euro). The Shanghai Daily:

Liu Genshan, 51, the chairman of a Hong Kong listed company and the 36th richest guy on Rupert Hoogewerf's 2004 list of "The 100 Richest People in China," once funded seven highways in Shanghai and neighboring Zhejiang Province. ...
A report to Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption at the beginning of 2005 said Liu moved 3 billion yuan in bank loans for highway projects overseas using illegal channels.
Liu used part of the money to buy a Hong Kong listed company and named it Maosheng Holdings.

The high-end power struggle between the central government and the rulers in Shanghai reached a highpoint a few years ago when Shanghai's party secretary Chen Liangyu was disposed off and got convicted. That proved to be also the beginning of the end of a set of Shanghai-based tycoons, who had profited from Chen's unstoppable construction fever.

Bridgehead Media out of business

via WikipediaThe unconfirmed rumors on the formerly famous advertising company Bridgehead Media in Shanghai going down following charges of fraud and even a police investigation showed up already last week on my radar screen. Since I had no time to follow up, nor had any of the other English language media as far as I could notice, Danwei is the first to publish on the demise of the company.
Danwei quotes an email:

"I am sure you have already heard that Bridgehead Media is closed and out of business, (former CEO) Greg Burnard has been misrepresenting a false investor as well as a false attorney, additionally he committed fraud and embezzlement of company funds. He is currently being sought by the police and it is our understanding he has already vacated his flat and is on the move, please let us know if you hear or see him as this will be passed to the authorities. Additionally in regards to freelance payments, as the company is out of business there will be no freelance payments available."

It mean that two papers related to the China Daily, the Shanghai Star and the Shanghai Star Business Journal, have gone down, taking along up to 40 jobs.
Bridgehead media became a success story in Shanghai as they took on the advertising side of the Shanghai Daily. Foreign companies cannot get involved in the editorial business of a state-owned newspaper (and they are all state-owned or illegal), but Bridgehead came as close to what a foreign company could do with the Chinese media, and did it successfully.
At the end of last year the Shanghai Daily decided they could do this job by themselves and kicked out unceremoniously Bridgehead media. Whether at that time already fraudulent practices were at the base of this divorce is unclear, but when Bridghead turned to the competitor China Daily.
The stories last week were already interesting enough, involving false MOU's on letters with the letterhead of a non-existing law firm. A group of people have been cheated out of their money, up to one million Renminbi in the case of a Hong Kong investor. I hope somebody has the resources to write up the whole story, that could be a very interesting chapter in the history of English language media in China.

2009: the year of the labor shortage

via WikipediaStories of a growing shortage on labor has been popping up since almost half a decade, starting in Guangdong and then spreading north. The shortage might now become a nationwide feature in 2009, reports the Korean Chosun, quoting different sources.

A survey by the Labor Security Administration of Guangdong Province in the cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Huizhou revealed that the province lacks 2 million laborers, the report said. Hubei and Zhejiang provinces are reportedly short of 400,000 and 860,000 workers respectively.
The report said the labor shortage is partly explained by the development of rural areas, decrease in the wage gap between urban and rural laborers, reduction in the absolute number of rural migrant workers, and lack of advanced labor force resulting from industrial restructuring.

It is one of the underlying reasons explaining why the position of workers in China is improving: there are just no longer enough of them.

The super-rich "are beginning to dance without their chains" - Rupert Hoogewerf,

Rupert Hoogewerf

The super-rich are becoming a really sexy subject in the Chinese media. Today the Financial Times also describes this special group in Chinese society.

Below the super-rich level is the rapidly expanding class of millionaires. According to a 2008 world wealth report by Merrill Lynch and Capgemini, China has 415,000 people who have $1m in disposable assets. This makes China home to more millionaires than any other country in the world.

Rupert Hoogewerf, in China better known as Hurun, has been following the super-rich for almost a decade and is a leading expert in this field. In the FT:

The super-rich "are beginning to dance without their chains", says Rupert Hoogewerf, editor of the Hurun Report. He argues that the country's new wealthy have gone through the initial stage of securing their family's financial independence and have established relationships with the government and paid their taxes, so there is no legal cloud over their head.
"In the next stage, they can really do anything they want, whether it is buying art or land or investing in a mine," he says.

Rupert Hoogewerf is also available as a speaker for your events. If you are interested in having him, do drop me a line.

Olympic Information Center: links on 8 July (1)

We were there in 1936!
via Wikipedia

All Olympic conversation, apart from the sport

- “I'm watching the South China Morning Post Olympics edition and they are more propagandistic than the China Daily”

http://olympics.scmp.com/ - You (edit | delete)

- We are ready #2! Advertisers and visas (James Fallows)

- Summer Olympics Disaster Guide (Slate)

- Digital China: Ten Things Worth Knowing about the Chinese Internet (Huffington Post)

- Blood Storage and Internet Censorship For Olympics (Global Voices)

- The ghost Games (The Australian)

Very thorough overview of all what is banned in Beijing - You

- Beijing Olympics weather drill to attempt rain cloud dispersal (Xinhua)

- Websites told to stop streaming torch relay (Shanghai Daily)

- Beijing 'failing pollution test' (BBC)

- Coca-Cola defends Olympics deal (BBC)

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